How they come up with video game characters

Call of Duty publishers Activision are being sued because of one the characters in their game Black Ops 2.

The children of Jonas Savimbi, who fought in the Angolan civil war, say their dad is portrayed as a barbarian in the game.

They want compensation but Activision's lawyers say the depiction was "rather favourable" as he helps the heroes of the title.

Newsbeat's been finding out where games makers get the inspiration for their characters.

Gareth Noyce has worked in gaming for more than 13 years and tells us about his experience of making characters. This is his new game Lumo.

We spoke to Gareth Noyce a developer who has worked on games including Crackdown and Fable in the past.

He is now making his own title, called Lumo, and says: "It's important to have characters expressing something to the player about the setting of the game.

"I think you have to tailor everything you do to what the game play is and remember what you're trying to achieve," explains Gareth.

"If the character doesn't fit with the world or the theme of the game then it won't be a good experience for the player."

Gareth says films and television are a big influence on the heroes and villains we see on screen.

Legends will be the next in the series of Fable games that are renowned for having colourful characters. Gareth worked on some of the earlier titles.

He tells us: "I think in the bigger budget titles, you can see them satirising or playing around with stereotypes.

"Indiana Jones has affected a lot of characters in games for example and science fiction has heavily affected the industry as well."

"But, like television and films, games developers are very careful not to copy something wholesale. They'll want to put their own spin on it and create something that's right for their game."

Gareth says that, unlike Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, he hasn't used characters based on real people in his games.

He says: "The games that I play, the games I make, and want to make, are quite fantastical."

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was released in 2012

But Gareth admits that a few real life things have popped up in the titles he's worked on.

"I have put my friends names in my games and I have hidden little photos or references to my friends.

"But I haven't actually created any characters based on them."

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